Manhattan

Things to do in Manhattan

At only 30 square miles, Manhattan is a fairly small area to explore, but there are so many things to do in Manhattan you will have a hard time fitting everything in. For art lovers, Manhattan hosts some of the world’s best art museums. For modern art, check out the Museum of Modern Art or the architecturally distinctive Guggenheim Museum, always showcasing amazing special exhibitions. The hallmark New York Metropolitan Museum of Art or the Met, is also a must-see site containing 19 curatorial departments ranging from ancient Egyptian to Asian to European masters. For a different type of art, check out a world famous Broadway show, but make sure to reserve your tickets early because many shows tend to sell out.

Wondering what to do in Manhattan other than art? Try taking a boat cruise through the New York Harbor to Ellis Island and see the iconic Statue of Liberty. Also, one of the top things to do in Manhattan is catching a view of the spectacular city skyline from the Empire State Building or Top of the Rock. If you’re wondering what to do in Manhattan for families, many museum such as the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum and the Museum of the Moving Image offer hands-on activities for kids and the New York Hall of Science has a 30,000 square foot outdoor science playground. If the weather is nice, take a stroll through one of Manhattan’s many incredible public parks including Central Park, Washington Square Park or the High Line in Chelsea.

Once the site of a chapel on Peter Stuyvesant’s farm, St. Mark’s is more than just a church: the sanctuary does double duty as a performance space and plays as much a part in the neighborhood’s cultural history as in its history of worship.

If there’s a sport, you can probably play it at this expansive complex set along the Hudson River with facilities for everything from bowling and rock climbing to year-round ice skating and golf (especially popular because you get to whack balls into nets overlooking the water).

The department store’s Chelsea location closed down in 1996, but this airy, edgy outpost—set inside a warehouse satisfies the needs of high-fashion shoppers. Both men and women head here for everything from designer jeans to of-the-minute accessories.

Forget the clothes: the real lure is the Rem Koolhaas-designed store itself. Manhattan’s Prada flagship replaced the downtown branch of the Guggenheim Museum in 2001—and since then, architecture freaks (and, yes, fashionistas) have been flocking to the futuristic 23,000-square-foot store.

Every New Yorker loves a bar with an outdoor patio, and that’s exactly what you’ll find at Bamboo 52. Add to the mix a sushi bar and a well-priced happy hour, which runs from noon until 9 p.m., and you’ve got the makings of the perfect watering hole.